Winter Haven Montessori School Applies for K-8 Charter

Wednesday

Aug 20, 2014 at 1:58 AM

If approved, the school would become the fourth Montessori charter school in the Polk County and the first on the east side of the county.

By MILES PARKSTHE LEDGER

WINTER HAVEN | Melissa Davis vividly remembers the first day of school.It's not her own first day when she was barely old enough to remember much at all, nor the hazy adolescence of ninth grade.What she won't forget is hearing her daughter exclaim while looking at a full parking lot of parents taking their tykes to a school Davis started.At 3 years old, Lola Davis smiled at her mom."Look, Mommy," she said. "Look what you did."That was four years ago. Today, Davis is spearheading a new effort to turn her Montessori preschool, Winter Haven Montessori, into a kindergarten through eighth-grade charter school. She teamed with three other parents from her school to write the application. It's one of seven the School Board received this year by the Aug. 1 deadline.If approved, the school would become the fourth Montessori charter school in the Polk County and the first on the east side of the county.

MONTESSORI IN POLKDavis is joined on the school's founding board by Katrina Hill, Karen Winningham and Tasha Keppler."The whole thing has been a challenge, just learning the process for the other three of us," Hill said. "I work at an ad agency; Karen is an industrial engineer; Tasha is a software writer. We're business women but we've never worked in the schools. I feel like I've gotten another four-year degree in education, just in the past four months."Davis had tried to write an application but it proved too much for her. The document the four women turned into the School Board earlier this month was a hefty 277 pages.Montessori schools use techniques developed by Italian teacher Maria Montessori that focus on each child's individual social and physical developments. The classrooms are integrated with different ages of children with different skills. Much of the education is guided by adults, but peer-to-peer help is highly encouraged.A Montessori classroom in action looks different from a typical classroom. The children meander from exercise to exercise, between math and reading and art activities.Walking between students, Davis can't help but glow."Justin is a 2-year-old and he's reading," she said. "We have a 4-year-old that's doing advanced addition."Her school has had a waiting list for new students since the first month it was open. Still, the word ''Montessori'' is foreign language to many parents in Polk."I tell people 'Montessori' and they think I'm saying 'monastery,' " she said. "They think we're nuns."

A 'RIGOROUS' PROCESSAlthough turning in the application triggered a sigh of relief, it's by no means the end of the process toward becoming a charter school.They presented their application to the School District's charter review committee in person Aug. 12 and face an interview this week. The charter review committee will make recommendations to the superintendent, who will pass on recommendations to the School Board.The committee is a group of 20 voting members and four non-voting members made up of district officials in various departments and community representatives.The School Board will vote on the seven applications individually Oct. 13. "A good charter school application first of all has to meet the outlines in the Florida statutes," said Brian Warren, director of charter schools for the School District. "Those outline various programs with respect to reading programs, ESOL, ESE and student assessments."There's a laundry list of criteria in the statutes that make up a good applicant," he said.Davis said she feels a strange mix of nervousness and confidence about her application, and her school's chance of being approved.Over the past five years, 29 other hopefuls have turned in applications. The School Board approved seven. "Polk County has a very rigorous review process," Warren said. "When and if schools are approved, we have high quality successful charter schools in Polk County."Davis said she's not intimidated, and she said, her application more than covers everything the School Board wants to see, from a detailed budget to school floor plans. Her three children, more than anything else, have inspired her to lead the charge toward Winter Haven's first Montessori charter school, she said.They "loved learning" before they moved on to more structure traditional schools, but that love has dimmed since getting away from Montessori techniques. She wants to bring that love back, for her children, and for a hundred others."I know this is something that can thrive," she said.